First Lie Wins is the perfect choice for book club if you are looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing at every turn.
At first, this novel seems to be a romantic story about a young couple taking the next step in their relationship, but it quickly delves into an adventure of lies, deceit, crime and blackmail.
It is a twisty rollercoaster ride of suspense; it is not often you come across a good con artist thriller, and one with a female lead.
Ashley Elston has written a multi-layered story with excellent characters that are fun and likable; these are characters that you want to get to know.
Be prepared for a wild and entertaining mind game.
First Lie Wins is enjoyable and solid; it kept my interest and even made me chuckle.
Evie Porter has everything a nice southern girl could want – a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, and a fancy group of friends.
The only problem is that Evie Porter does not exist until she is given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr Smith.
She learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it; then the mark – in this case Ryan Sumner.
Evie does not know Mr Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different from any of the others because Ryan has gotten under her skin and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself.
And the one identity she could always go back to, her real identity, just walked right into this town.
So who is Evie Porter?
These questions have been tailored to this book’s specific reading experience, and for anyone choosing to use it for their book club.
Mr Smith’s identity is a well-guarded secret, yet we meet him early on in the novel.
Why do you think such a secretive man chose to interact so closely with Evie?
Do you have sympathy for Ryan? Or did he deserve to be lied to by Evie since he was also living a double life?
What about sympathy for Evie? She started working for Mr Smith when her mother was sick, and while working for him, there was still a line Evie would never cross.
Evie uses origami swans as a calling card. What do you think these swans mean to her? Why leave a calling card at all in a job that requires complete secrecy?
Do you think Evie and Ryan will stay together? Do you think they’ll ever be able to truly trust each other?
Some similar mystery thrillers are Northern Spy by Flynn Berry, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes.
Julie Chessman